THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 12, 1995 TAG: 9509120371
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Portsmouth has produced more great football teams than any other city in South Hampton Roads over the past seven years.
From 1987 to 1993 Wilson or Norcom either won or finished second in the region in Division 5 and combined to win three state titles.
Wilson went 38-4 from 1989-91 and Norcom was 50-8 from 1990-94.
Now Churchland looks ready to join the elite after thrashing Norcom, 41-6, last Friday. The 35-point defeat was Norcom's worst in 49 games since Wilson blanked the Greyhounds, 38-0, in the next-to-last game in 1991.
Churchland, ironically, was one of the worst teams in the region when Wilson and Norcom started their dominance. The Truckers lost 34 straight games from 1986 to 1989 and had gone 11 years without a winning season between 1981 and 1992.
The Truckers started their turnaround under Bob Parker and have gone 6-4 each of the past two years under Ken Taylor.
Is Churchland ready to contend for its first Southeastern District title since 1975?
``I think we can compete with everybody in the district,'' Taylor said. ``I think it's going to be a race between us, Western Branch, Deep Creek and Indian River.''
The Truckers will know where they stand before the month is out. They visit Great Bridge on Friday, then play No. 4 Western Branch and No. 1 Deep Creek.
``We said from the beginning if we could start out 3-1 we'd be in the race,'' Taylor said.
CAREER MILESTONES: Granby's Anthony King went over the 2,000-yard mark in total offense last week against Western Branch. King has 1,160 yards passing and 939 yards rushing. . . . Green Run's Plaxico Burress scored two touchdowns against Maury giving him 100 points . . . The focus this week is on Princess Anne's Mike Majette. He needs 67 yards against Tallwood to become the 13th player from South Hampton Roads to rush for 3,000 yards.
GAME OF THE WEEK: The Eastern District title could be decided Saturday night when defending champion Booker T. Washington meets Lake Taylor at Harbor Park. The Bookers won, 8-6, in overtime last year and a similar defensive struggle seems in order. Hovering over the game is the health of Lake Taylor's Mario Elliott.
Quarterback, safety, punter and plaekicker, he is truly the Titans' indispensable man. Elliott pulled a groin last week in practice and aggravated it on the first series Friday night against Wilson.
He sat out most of the first half and then returned with a limp to lead Lake Taylor to a 21-20 victory. Titans coach Bert Harrell expects Elliott to start against the Bookers.
WELCOME ABOARD: New coaches often struggle out of the gate for lots of reasons. It takes time to familiarize oneself with the players and for the players to absorb a new system. Perhaps the biggest reason, though, is that turnover among the best programs is light.
From 1992 to 1994 there were 16 coaching changes in South Hampton Roads; the new coaches were a combined 5-11 in their first game.
There are four new coaches this year, at Cox, Oscar Smith, Wilson and Atlantic Shores. Only Atlantic Shores had a winning record last year. But so far all four coaches have met or exceeded expectations.
Cox's Reggie Garrett, Oscar Smith's Bill Lyon's and Atlantic Shores' Adam Cheyunski each won his first game. Wilson's Joe Ladisic, in his second stint with the Presidents, is 0-2, but the defeats have been by a combined seven points. MEMO: Poll, standings/C7
by CNB